Allergic rhinitis is characterized by symptoms of a runny nose, congestion, itchy eyes and sneezing. This disorder is usually caused by allergens such as pollen and dust. Commonly known as hay fever, allergic rhinitis may exhibit the following symptoms:

The symptoms of allergic rhinitis are:
1. You may experience a runny nose and congestion in the nose
2. You may have allergic conjunctivitis where your eyes turn itchy and watery
3. Persistent coughing
4. Symptoms of sneezing
5. Swelling may develop underneath the eyes
6. You may have an itchy nose
7. Constant signs of fatigue

Causes
Allergic rhinitis or hay fever causes the immune system to recognize certain airborne substances as harmful. The immune system in the body starts to form antibodies to combat these irritants. The antibodies cause the body to release  histamine , a chemical that triggers the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

The various triggers that may cause allergic rhinitis are:
1. Dust mites
2. Tree pollen
3. Grass pollen
4. Spoors from outdoor and indoor fungi
5. Ragweed pollen

The treatment for this disorder is to avoid exposure to the triggers. Mild symptoms of this disorder may be treated with over-the-counter medications whereas severe symptoms may require prescription medications.
The various medications for allergic rhinitis are:

Antihistamines: Antihistamines may be administered as pills or nasal sprays; these medications can help with itching and sneezing. Antihistamines help in limiting the effects of histamine in the body.
Nasal corticosteroids: These prescription medications can help treat itching and inflammation in the nose. They are usually the first medications that are administered.
Decongestants: Decongestants are over-the-counter medications that can be used to treat congestion in the nose. You should be careful not to overuse these medicines as they can increase blood pressure.
Allergy shots: If medications do not relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis, the doctor may prescribe allergy shots to treat the disorder. The injections contain allergens in small amounts which are injected over a period of time; this causes the body to get used to these allergens, resulting in a reduction of the symptoms.

Allergic Rhinitis - 7 Signs You Are Suffering from it!

Influenza is more commonly known as the flu. It is an infection that affects the respiratory system and is caused by the influenza virus. This injection is recommended for kids who are under the age of 6 months. It ensures that the baby is safeguarded from the virus during an influenza outbreak. Since the nature of virus changes year on year, the immunity doesn t last for more than 1 year. This vaccination is ideally taken during the month of October and November. The effect of the vaccination typically lasts for 6-8 months.

Ideally, kids who have never had a flu vaccination should take 2 vaccinations within 4 weeks. Kids who have received a shot of flu should undertake this vaccination once in a year. This arrangement is ideal up to 9 years of age. Flu shot is extremely important for a kid due to the following reasons:

It saves a kid from chronic lung and heart disorders such as asthma and cystic fibrosis
Kids suffering from immune deficiency, cancer, and HIV should take this vaccination to avoid further complication of the existing disease
Kids suffering from diabetes, kidney diseases, and metabolic disorders should go for this vaccination without a second thought
Kids suffering from a neurological disorder, haemoglobin deficiency, and anaemia should take this vaccination to refrain from the risk of aggravation of the present disease
Pregnant women should ideally take it for the safeguarding the fetus
Flu shot should not be taken be taken if:
1. A baby is under the age of 6 months.
2. The baby has thimerosal allergy.

Is flu shot safe?
The flu shot is considered to be very safe. It does not result in flu. Few side effects include:
a. Soreness of the place where the needle is injected. This doesn t last for more than a couple of day.
b. Body ache and mild fever for the first couple of days after the vaccination is done.
c. There is little to no pain in the place where the injection is injected by the doctor.

What is nasal flu vaccine?
This is an influenza dose that is not injected into the body but given in the form of nasal spray. Healthy kids above the age of 2 years are fit to get this injection. For those kids who have a history of chronic illness should check with their doctor to go ahead with nasal spray. Each dose is given in each nostril. Like the influenza vaccine, nasal flu vaccine should be undertaken once for those who have already taken this dose once. Kids who have not undergone this vaccination are eligible for 2 dosages each 4 weeks apart from each other.

Influenza Vaccine - Why is it Important for Kids?

Stomach problems are one of the most common issues you face. Irrespective of what your age is, it is highly likely that you have an upset stomach once in while. A stomach upset has a distinguishable characteristic -  that stomach linings as well as the small and large intestines tend to swell. This is called inflammation. The following are the most common causes of an upset stomach.

1. Viruses
Viruses are the most common causes of an upset stomach. It is highly likely that your stomach upset is because of a virus since there are so many types of them.

2. Parasites or bacteria like Salmonella and Escherichia coli
This is also a very common cause of stomach upset. Salmonella infections are usually caused by eating raw eggs, meat and meat products whereas Escherichia coli infections come from raw vegetables as well as milk and dairy products.

3. Allergic reactions
These happen very specifically to people who have a reaction to a certain type of food.

4. Excess alcohol
Most people think that alcohol will only make you pass out or get liver cirrhosis. Many people do not know that alcohol can actually adversely affect your stomach as well.

5. Excess caffeine
Caffeine is also dangerous to your stomach as taking too much of it can cause a stomach upset.

6. Fatty foods
Fatty foods such as cheese, dark chocolates, whole eggs, fatty fish, etc. are dangerous because they are harder to digest than many other types of food. This means that eating even a small amount of fatty foods are enough to cause a stomach upset sometimes.

7. Eating too much
This is also a major cause of stomach upset simply because your stomach can only digest a certain amount of food.

You must also be able to distinguish when you have a stomach infection and when you have Chron's disease as it is basically a chronic stomach upset. Chron's disease causes the whole digestive tract to be inflamed.

Common Causes Of Stomach Problems

Common cold, as the name suggests, is one of the most common diseases in the world. It is a communicable disease, mainly occurring during seasonal change, even though it is not chronic in nature. And homeopathy has the most effective medicines which treat common cold without the side effects offered by allopathic medicines, such as drowsiness.
Read on to know which are those:

1. Aconite
This homeopathic medicine is recommended when the most preliminary signs of common cold appear, such as getting thirsty frequently and being overly-anxious.

2. Belladonna
Belladonna is for more severe signs of cold, such as high fever and persistence of a throbbing headache.

3. Natrum mur
This medicine is effective for a runny nose, with initially clear snot thickening after a period of 24-48 hours.

4. Nux vomica
Nux vomica is effective for constant sensation of chill, with warmth not felt even in the comfort of the bed. It is also effective for headaches, blocked nose, body-aches, and nausea as results of the cold.

5. Gelsemium
Gelsemium is advisable for the known symptoms of common cold such as headache, fever, fatigue, drowsiness, shivers, etc.

6. Eupatorium perf
This medicine is effective in case of recurring thirst, sore muscles and bones, and immense headache that get worse on any kind of movement.

7. Arsenicum iod
If you are experiencing continuous sneezing with burning sensation and a nasal discharge, this is the medicine you should take.

8. Ferrum Phos
This medicine is also given at the preliminary stage, when the onset is slow, with mild fever, which gets worse especially with the approach of night.

9. Pulsatilla
When you have a nose with dense discharge and blocked ears, remember that these symptoms may worsen at night. This is the medicine best suited to your cold in such a situation.

10. Influenzinum
It is a homeopathic remedy for flu. The medicine, which is diluted and potentized, strengthens the immune system to fight against flu viruses. It does not suppress the symptoms but makes your immune system strong to not allow foreign viruses affect your health.

Homeopathy and Common Cold

What should you do when you are down with viral

Viral fever or in layman language, Flu causes runny nose , coughing , fever , bodyache and muscle pain. You need to isolate yourself first so that you do not spread to your near and dear ones as it really spreads fast. Common cold too is a viral infection! Many times when we think that our stomach is upset due to improper eating; but the reality is in many cases, it is viral infection. Viruses enter the body in multiple ways; it is almost impossible from stopping them entering inside. A few solutions though work wonders in keeping their effects at bay.

1. Adequate rest- Viruses take a lot away from your bodies. When you work while being affected by virus, you further bog your body down buying more opportunity for viruses to affect you more. Complete rest may sound lazy, but it in fact is a great way to start off the healing process.
2. Drink right- Drink a lot of water, a hydrated body fights virus better than one that is not. Consume fruit juices, energy drinks and vegetable soups every now and again. Stay away from dairy products like milk, butter milk, milkshakes etc.
3. Eat aplenty- Eat plenty amounts of food. When you are down with virus, you tend to lose appetite. But make sure that you eat as much as you can; this helps in replenishing the energy resource of the body which will battle the virus better. Don’t overeat though.
4. Eat it right- Eat salads, fruits, brown rice, cereals etc. In simpler words, eat light; don’t eat stuff that demands a lot of energy for digesting. If eating is difficult, vegetable soups with whole vegetables and dals in them are ideal.
5. Stay warm- Resting doesn’t just mean the lack of activity. Proper rest is when you keep yourself warm. It’s essential to feel good and almost all viral infections make you cold. Tackle this by staying inside your blanket. Use full sleeve shirts and long pants with gloves, a cap and socks supporting them. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

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What should you do when you are down with Viral Attack

It is important for you to know about inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, it is a group of intestinal disorders, which leads to prolonged inflammation of your digestive tract. The digestive tract is made of the mouth, stomach, oesophagus, small intestine and large intestine. It performs the task of breaking down food, removing unusable materials and waste products, and for breaking down nutrients from food. Inflammation along with the digestive tract causes disruption in this process. IBD is a fatal condition which can be life threatening in some cases.

Major types of inflammatory bowel disease
The term inflammatory bowel disease is an umbrella term under which many diseases are included. The two major and most common diseases under IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn s disease. Crohn s disease (a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, especially the colon and ileum, associated with ulcers and fistulae) can lead to inflammation in any part of your digestive tract. It commonly affects the small intestine s tail end. In case of ulcerative colitis, inflammation takes place in the large intestine.

Causes of IBD
Although the exact cause of IBD is not known, several factors may lead to this condition. They are as follows:

Genetics: You are more likely to develop IBD if someone in your family has the disease. This is because of the genetic component of IBD.
The immune system: The body s immune system plays a role in IBD. Usually, your immune system defends your body from pathogens. A bacterial or viral infection in the digestive tract may lead to an immune response. The digestive tract becomes inflamed as the body fights against the bacteria or viruses. The inflammation goes away when the infection is gone.
However, in the case of IBD, the digestive tract inflammation may occur without any infection. Your immune system attacks your body s cells. This is called an autoimmune response. IBD can also occur when the infection is cured, but the inflammation remains.

Symptoms
The various symptoms of IBD depend on the severity and location of the inflammation. They are as follows:

Diarrhoea which occurs when the bowel cannot reabsorb water.
Bleeding ulcers which cause blood to show up in your stool.
Stomach pain, bloating and cramping because of bowel obstruction.
Weight loss and anaemia, which leads to delayed development and growth in children.
In patients with Crohn s disease, canker sores may develop in the mouth.
Ulcers and fissures may appear on the anus or genital area.
IBD may also be associated with problems such as eye inflammation, arthritis and skin disorders.
The major complications which may arise from IBD include colon cancer, malnutrition with weight loss, fistulas, intestinal rapture and bowel obstruction. It is important for you to consult a doctor on noticing any of the IBD symptoms.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Know the Types!

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